Industry Intelligence

This month's digest includes:
•The Big Chalk Project, Local Nature Recovery Strategies, draft legislation impacts from APR and BPR, Defra's Farming and Countryside user panel
•Industry news covering closure of Vivergo, web tool to predict slurry emissions, cancelled border checks on EU imports, ongoing ADOPT funding
•Latest science on cultivation methods over catch crop species, and good and bad weeds with precision agriculture
•Key reports on Ceres Group response to a Call for Evidence on private investment into nature recovery, England farming income values 2024, pig sector support and net zero tech outlook
•Upcoming Ceres Research events - including August's Agronomy Club recording and September sign up details, the AgriStrategy Conference (which includes 50% off for members).

Each month, we update you on fuel prices which relate to our industry in order to help you benchmark and forecast your costs. This information is part of our endeavour to ensure we support you, our members, in the effective day-to-day running of your rural businesses.

With low rainfall and minimal disease pressure this year, varieties with drought resilience and multi-gene rust resistance are standing out. The insights from Agronomy Club continues to track these developments closely—members get full access to expert commentary and strategic recommendations.

As growers prepare for drilling, we share key strategies to optimise establishment this season from cultivations, drilling timings and varieties. Ceres Research Members get full access to our strategic insights and recommendations, led by the latest scientific data.

With flufenacet facing withdrawal in the EU and rising herbicide costs, growers are urged to explore alternatives while rethinking weed control strategies for autumn 2025. We offer some alternative herbicide options to flufenacet with a cost comparison in this article.

Home-saving seed can cut costs, but testing and treatment are key—especially with diseases like bunt and fusarium still a risk. Guidance on adjusting seed rates for dry soils and late drilling is discussed in this article, along with a quick guide on diseases and suitable products to manage them.

UPDATE AS OF 22/08/25: Following the news of glyphosate resistance reported in the UK earlier this year in January, 10 more Italian rye-grass samples from 8 farms were tested by ADAS. 3 of these farms have shown high risk of resistance. Offspring from these populations will now undergo further testing to confirm if they are […]

The UK Government recently launched a call for evidence to explore how the private sector can play a greater role in nature recovery. This initiative sought views on two key areas: The role of government in enabling and growing private investment in nature. Opportunities to increase investment in environmental outcomes such as water quality, carbon […]

Thinking about benchmarking your business? Start with clarity and consistency.
From choosing what matters most to your farm, to ensuring fair comparisons and understanding the full context behind the numbers—benchmarking is more than just data. Our top ten takeaways show how a focused approach and the right tools (like those in your Ceres Research Membership) can turn performance tracking into strategic progress.